Wed, May 4, 2011 -- 9:00 AM

Climate Change and the Big Arctic Thaw

Tim Flannery gives a speech on global warming at the National Press Club July 18, 2007 in Canberra, Australia.

Andrew Sheargold/Getty

Tim Flannery gives a speech on global warming at the National Press Club July 18, 2007 in Canberra, Australia.

An alarming new report says climate change is happening in the Arctic at a more rapid pace than previously believed. Melting ice could elevate the global sea level by as much as five feet in this century. We talk with writer, environmentalist and climate change expert Tim Flannery about what this new information says about the future of our planet.

Host: Michael Krasny

Guests:

Tim Flannery, Australia's chief commissioner for climate change, director of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy and author of "The Weather Makers" and the new book, "Here on Earth: A Natural History of the Planet"